On a conjecture of Le Bruyn

Abstract

Given a generic field extension F/k of degree n>3 (i.e. the Galois group of the normal closure of F is isomorphic to the symmetric group $S_n$), we prove that the norm torus, defined as the kernel of the norm map $N:R_{F/k}(G_m)\to\G_m$, is not rational over k.